And the Walls Come Tumbling Down
by Lauretta92
Summary: What if Thomas didn't turn down his pass in episode four? Will he be in time to save Kitty from her abusive husband?
1. Chapter 1

**And the Walls Come Tumbling Down**

What if Thomas didn't turn down his pass in episode four? Will he be in time to save Kitty from her abusive husband?

**So, after reading so much good fanfiction about Kitmas, I finally decided to take the plunge and post a story myself. I'm am a proud Dutchie, so that means my English isn't as good as the rest of you. Any grammar of spelling mistakes are on me and if you spot one, please let me know;)**

**Anyway, enjoy! And a review would make me very happy :)**

The roaring engine brought Kitty Trevelyan back to the present. She blinked her eyes a few times to adjust to the bright sunlight. She breathed in the much needed fresh air, which the French countryside happily provided. She was seated in the car next to Captain Thomas Gillan. When they would hit a rough patch in the road their shoulders would sometimes bump into each other, sending a small shiver down her spine.

She shook her head. No, now was not the time to think about that. She had better things to focus on. She fiddled with the dark blue fabric of her coat while she nervously bit her upper lip. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn't caused by the presence of Thomas, but by the person who was waiting for her in town. The man who seem to control her life even in France; Elliott Vincent. The English Channel was supposed to create distance between her and this man, but it did nothing of that kind.

Carefully she gazed at the man driving the small, noisy car. The man who changed her life from the moment she met him in the hospital, when he offered his hand to help her out of the truck. The man that had been alarmed since the moment she arrived. When he uttered those words in the ward everything changed. She wanted nothing more than to explore this 'thing', their attraction towards each other, but her past made it nearly impossible.

She cleared her throat. "The hotel in town", she began slowly. "I hear it is good for afternoon tea."

Tom nodded. "Yes, it is", he said, his hands still firmly on the steering wheel. "The staff is usually very friendly towards army officers and serving nurses." He paused a for a moment, tilting is head slightly. "Miles and I have a room there and use it when we've got a pass."

The silence found its way back to the car and occupied it. She looked back at the green pastures displayed all around her. "Who are you meeting in town?", he asked after what seemed like hours of silence.

She froze and swallowed hard. Could she tell him? She left England and the memories it contained behind for a reason. She wanted no one to look at her with contempt written all over their faces, especially some as special as Thomas. She wanted everyone to treat her the same way as the others, no exceptions. "Just a family friend, no one special." She tried to smile, trying her best to hide the fear, that was taking control over her.

The silence returned and remained between them until they reached the hotel. She got out of the car slowly and followed Tom inside. She gave her coat and hat to one of the staff members. "I'll be here in the hall at five to drive us back to the hospital." She nodded, signaling him that she understood. He pinched the bridge of his nose, something he seemed to do a lot when he was nervous. She noticed that in the last couple of weeks. He nodded one more time before making his way towards the stairs.

She started to make her way towards the small restaurant that was present in the hotel. A smiling waiter guided her to her table and took her order. The table before her was neatly set with a plate, a spoon, knife and fork. The fork. She looked at the shiny, pointy object in front of her. She straightened her back, grabbed the fork and slid it in the sleeve of her cream colored blouse. She bit her lip nervously, mentally preparing her for her first encounter with Elliott in months.

"Hello, Kitty", said a voice with a posh accent. Elliot Vincent appeared in her field of vision, smiling at her the way that he always had, like he dominated the whole world. "How have you been?" Her hands retreated themselves to her lap, clenching her fist tightly. She tried desperately to control the emotions that were running through her entire body. She felt the anger rising inside of her. She was angry with herself for still letting Elliott control her life.

"I am fine, Elliott", Kitty said.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, did not expect this kind of response to my story. For everyone that has complimented my English, I can't take all the credit. I now share a very intimate relationship with my dictionary, haha. **

**Also, thank you all for you kind reviews, made my day. I would like to thank 'kjp', 'Guest' and 'ani' for their lovely review. **

**And for any of my Dutch readers, I have published my very own novel! YAY, I am so exited! Check my profile for the details (there is a link that would take you to the website where you can order one).**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter! **

"May I write to her?" The question was out before she even thought about it. She hadn't seen her daughter in almost two years and she wanted nothing more than to be in contact with her, even if it meant just by writing.

"What are you going to say, Kitty?", Elliot said, while he took a sip of the cup of tea in front of him. "You scared her", he continued, returning his cup in its saucer and putting it on the table that kept her within safe distance of him. "You scared me."

"I just…", she began slowly, feeling the lump in her throat increasing. "I don't want her to think I've forgotten her. That I…don't love her more than my own life." Because that was what she did. She loved Sylvie so much, words couldn't described what she felt. She wanted her daughter to know that not visiting was not her choice. Now she had to convince this man that was sitting across from her to let her visit.

"That I don't think about her every minute of every day. That…" The emotions where rising inside her, preventing her from speaking any further. She swallowed hard, trying to stop herself from bursting into tears. No, she had to be strong. Put her emotions behind the wall, something she was taught growing up. Emotions, feeling something, made you weak.

Elliot smiled at her again, before reaching for his inside pocket. When she could see his right hand again, it wasn't empty, it was carrying a key. He laid the key on cream colored table cloth that covered the table in front of her. "Then you can tell her yourself", he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"She's here?", she asked, the tone heard in her voice as much as seen on her face. Sylvie was here? Her beautiful baby girl with her glossy brown hair and hazelnut colored eyes was her in France waiting for her?

She snatched the key from the table. "Go easy on her. It's been a long day and she's tired", she heard him say, but that didn't matter to her. All she wanted was to hold her daughter again, hold her in her arms and tell her that mommy was never going to leave again.

She ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Her hands were holding her long, dark skirt up, creating more room for her to move forwards, while the other hand was sliding up the wooden balustrade. Slightly out of breath she reached the second floor of the hotel. She walked towards the door, the only thing that was standing in the way of seeing her daughter again. The fork she took during her tea with Elliot was put aside, left behind, forgotten.

"Sylvie?", she said, opening the door slowly. She carefully took another few steps forward. "Sylvie, my little monkey." She walked towards another door, accessing the luxurious bathroom. "Sylvie, it's mommy. It's mommy." Unexpected she found the bathroom to be empty as well. Where was she? Was she playing outside without telling someone?

In the background she heard the door of the hotel room open and close again. The door got locked. She was surrounded by silence again, only this time it wasn't awkward, it was the silence she feared the most. The silence which usually followed by Elliot coming in the room and doing what he loved: controlling her.

She stepped out of the bedroom, letting the tears stream down her face, not having the energy to stop them. "She's not here, is she?" Elliot was standing in front of the door, the door that would provide her safety, saying nothing. He just looked at her. She sniffed, whipping away the tears from her face and straightened her back. "They're expecting me back at the hospital. Someone is driving me there. If I don't turn up…" She swallowed, trying hard to find her inner strength she knew she had in her to survive this. "If I don't turn up, they will look for me. So, I'm going to leave this room and you're going to let me."

Elliot walked towards the bed that was positioned on her left, unbuttoning his grey jacket. His gaze still fixed on her. She started to walk towards the room. He took one step forwards, the smirk visible on his face. She held her breath for a moment. Even though she didn't want it to be, he still controlled her. He knew it, she knew it.

Before she knew it, she ran to the door, trying desperately to unlock it. When she finally succeeded in that task, Elliot was behind her, throwing the door back where it belonged: closed. Her heart tightened with fear. _Please_, she begged, not daring herself to say these words out loud. _Help me._ She could feel Elliot's hand making their way up to her stomach and trying to maneuver under her skirt. She felt the tears streaming down her face.

Then she did the only thing she could think of, the only thing that would get her out of here and away from this man. She bit Elliot in the arm, which resulted in him yelling: "Bitch!" He opened the door, pulling her hair and throwing her in the hallway of the hotel. She got up as fast as she could, grabbing the fork she left behind before entering the hotel room and ran towards the end of the hall. She tried to open the door she was facing, only finding it closed.

Elliot appeared in the hallway, sneering at her and rubbing his arm where she bitten him. He took a few steps towards her, one foot before the other, closing in on her position. No, this was not how it was going to end. She was supposed to be safe in France, far away from this man as possible. How could it happen that she ended up in the same position as when she was in England? Was the universe trying to let her pay for her mistakes?

_Help me, please_, she pleaded again, her hands gripping the fork firmly. _Help!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you, thank you all for reviewing. And of course "Guest", thank you as well! **

**Well, enjoy!**

The fork still clutched in her hand, which was now visibly shaking. Elliot was approaching, smiling at her like he always had. So, this was how it was going to end. Elliot would take advantage of her one last time, but the burning question was: will she survive another attempt? Then, out of nowhere she heard a squeaking noise in the hallway. A man in a British Army uniform stepped in her range of vision. She let out a breath when she recognized the man who was wearing the khaki uniform. It was Thomas Gillan.

"I don't think so", he said, his Scottish origins audible in his voice, grabbing Elliot by the wrist. "You better step back." He positioned himself between Elliot and her. Their eyes made brief contact, a look of concern displayed on his face for a short moment, before turning to her ex-husband. The concern disappeared and his expression turned into the cold, icy stare she sometimes got to see.

Elliot smile faded slowly from his face, slightly intimidated by the presence of the Captain. "This is a personal matter. Don't interfere."

Thomas took another step forward, letting go of Elliot's wrist. "I think I must, since she is a serving nurse." Her hands still clutching the fork, only her hands were shaking less. Her breathing seemed to slow down as well. She felt the fear slowly leaving her body, making room for the tranquility she had been searching for the past couple of months. The tranquility she thought she could find in the hospital by helping the wounded soldiers.

"A whore in nursing uniform is still a whore. Right, darling? On your back, knees to the sky." When these words left Elliot's mouth she saw the face of Tom grew gloomy.

"Leave", Tom said with a stern look on his face. In his Scottish accent his words sounded harsh, but maybe that was exactly what he was going for. "Now!" His last words were spoken with increased volume, the same volume when he shouted at her in the operating tent a few weeks ago.

Elliot stayed for a minute, looking at her briefly before glancing at the angry-looking RAMC Captain. Slowly her ex-husband backed away, disappearing at the end of the hallway, leaving a tense atmosphere behind. When she was sure that Elliot wasn't in her field of vision, she breathed out the air she didn't know she was holding. She lowered her hand which contained the shiny fork and walked towards the man who saved her.

He handed her the handbag, which fell to the ground, forgotten for a moment, not saying a word. His blue eyes piercing into her dark ones. She slowly felt the thick, brick wall tumbling down, the wall that took years to build. The wall were she would easily hide when something went wrong in her life. Everything she ever felt, anything that would make her feel human instead of a doll where little children played with, was put behind the wall. That was the only way she could keep up the appearance when she was married to Elliot, pretending she had the most amazing husband during the day, when at night he would show his real colors.

No one ever had the power to break down her wall, especially with just looking at her. She had been coping with life, the expectations her family had from her, all on her own. But now, his eyes still on her, she felt the urge to just throw herself into his arms, him telling her that everything was going to be all right.

Without even thinking about it she walked to the room, where Tom came from just a few minutes ago. She sat herself down on the edge of the well made bed. "Are you alright?", he asked carefully, his voice gentle in the silent room, not in any way like it sounded in the hallway. She nodded, not reading to talk about what happened. Of course he would want an explanation of the events that happened.

He poured some water in a glass and handed it to her. She took a small sip, her hands still visibly shaking, although not some much as before when she was holding the fork. He started to walk to the door, which was firmly closed. "Stay", she pleaded. "Please. He might come back." He sat next to her, leaving some space between them. He clearly didn't want to upset her by coming to close. He kept his distance out of respect for her.

She took another sip of her water before looking at him, tears still visible in the corner of her eyes. "Thank you", she said, trying to smile, but failed utterly. He smiled back at her, the smile reaching his impermeable blue eyes. Those blue eyes that made her think of the ocean and the calming effect that it had on her. The same calming effect that his blue eyes had on her right now, this very moment.

In a long time she actually felt saver. She would always live in fear, expecting Elliot around every corner, in every room. At least that was the case in her dreams, rather nightmares than dreams. "Are you sure you are alright", he asked again.

"I will be." She shrugged slightly, before looking into his blue eyes, trying to find the calming ocean. "I have to be. I did it before."

"He did this before?", he asked, the unbelief displayed all over his face, completely bewildered.

"Yes", she said, nodding. "It could have been a lot worse if you hadn't showed up."

He pressed his lips together, trying to process she told him, even though she just very little words. She didn't need to express everything into words, he would just know by the way she was reacting.

"I am very sorry you had to go through that", he said after a long pause. "I can't even imagine…", he trailed off.

"I don't expect you to", she said. "But thank you, for trying." She smiled again, only this time succeeding, since the corners of her mouth moved slowly. It was the first time some ever listened to her, really listened to her, not pretending like some of her family did. At home she tried so hard trying to make them listen, hear her side of the story, but they never did. All they heard was the words 'affair' and 'other man' and they shut her out completely, not listening to her pleadings.

"So", Tom said. "You want me to order us some food? We can't go back to the hospital with empty stomachs."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I am so sorry about the late update, but I have been so busy with work and I had to put the last finishing touches on my novel (which the deadline is this Monday). Anyway, thank you all for reviewing, those made my day! And of course 'Ani', thank you. **

**This is the last chapter of this story. I have some other ideas, so give me a few days to start writing. Don't expect anything soon, I have a busy week ahead!**

The sun was setting when they were on their way back to the hospital. Tom was driving the car, steering it across the badly paved road. In the corner of her eyes she saw that he was glancing at her, but only for a few seconds, probably because he didn't want her to notice. If it wasn't for this man things could have ended very different today.

The soft wind made it inside the car, playing with the hem of her skirt and his uniform trousers. After the food Tom ordered arrived in the hotel room she really relaxed. Tom never asked anything else about the incident in the hall way. He just made small talk, even cracking a few jokes. He showed her a side she never thought he had, a fun side. He probably wanted her to forget everything and have a good time.

Never in her life had a man treated her like he did. Well, apart from… She breathed out. She couldn't think about the man that she had an affair with while being married to Elliot. He didn't stand up for her when she needed him to be, so unlike Thomas. The way he defended her, she couldn't thank him enough for what he did.

She breathed in the fresh air provided by the French countryside and swallowed. She was trying to find the words to explain everything. He deserved an explanation, she thought. "You know, Tom…", she started slowly.

"Kitty", he said softly, interrupting her thoughts. "You don't need to tell me. You don't own me an explanation."

She looked at him and asked: "Don't you want to know?"

"You don't have to tell me everything now." He looked away from the road that laid before him and looked at her, followed by an encouraging smile. "Tell me when you are ready. I can wait."

"I want to tell you. I want you to know." She looked away from his ocean filled eyes and back to her hands, folded together like she was saying a prayer. "Being a member of the Trevelyan household meant that people had big expectations of you. My dad is a member of parliament, House of Lords."

She paused, trying to gauge his reaction. He pulled over, stopping from driving the car, focusing mainly on her. He didn't respond, which she took as a sign for her to tell him more. "My father expected me to marry a amazing man with great connections and Elliot lived up to his expectations. My mother tried to smooth it over, telling me that the love would grow once we were married. Only this time that wasn't true. Love never came."

She felt the tears filling her eyes, with even one daring to show himself, running down her cheek. She closed her eyes shortly to compose herself, when she felt a warm hand on top of hers. She opened her eyes again and found the ocean again, the calming ocean. The ocean she come to rely on, especially since this afternoon. "I really am sorry that you had to go through that", he said, squeezing her hand lightly, probably trying to encourage her. "He is not going to come back, Kitty. He can't hurt you here in the hospital. Not as long as I'm around."

The tears that dried up in the sunlight were met with another flood of tears. "Are you still married to him?", he asked after a couple of minutes. The minutes she needed to calm herself down again, trying to control her emotions.

She shook her head. "No", she said, swallowing hard. "He wanted me to sign some papers so that he could marry again. That is why he wanted me to meet him in town today."

"So you never have to see him again after this." When these words left Tom's mouth she bit her lip. Oh, if he only knew about her beautiful Sylvie. But she couldn't tell him about the affair and about her daughter. He would run as hard as his legs could carry him, away from her. She couldn't handle being left on her own. Not now, not now when she found someone as Tom supporting her.

"Look", he said, after she didn't reply to his last words. "I am really not going to say anything about today. I promise." She looked into his eyes, noticing the sincerity.

"I know", she said, a small smile appearing across her face "I know." She wasn't a person, who talked much but the words she did use meant a lot, for her at least.

He tried to let go of her hand, but she caught it just in time. The warmth that it had been representing was to comforting to let go. Their hands entangled, their warmth exchanged. He started the engine of the car and drove back to the hospital. She would tell him about Sylvie, when she was ready. In time.


End file.
